5 beta-alkanoyl-alpha-norandrostanes



United States Patent 3,296,300 5 BETA-ALKANOYL-A-NORANDROSTANES Seymour D. Levine, Princeton, N.J., assignor, by mesne assignments, to E. R. Squibb & Sons, Inc, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware N0 Drawing. Filed Aug. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 483,790

11 Claims. (Cl. 260488) This invention relates to new steroidal compounds and, more particularly, to new steroids of the A-norandrostane series, new intermediates useful in the preparation of the same, and processes for preparing the same.

The new final products of this invention are of the Formula I:

. Y wherein Y is lower alkyl; R is hydrogen or lower alkyl; R is hydroxy or acyloxy; or together R and R is oxo. Among the suitable acyloxys may be mentioned the acyloxy radical of a hydrocarbon carboxylic acid of less than twelve carbon atoms, as exemplified by the lower alkanoic acids-(e.g., acetic, propionic, butyric, hexanoic and enanthic acid), the lower alkenoic acids, the cycloalkane carboxylic acids, the cycloalkene carboxylic acids, the monocyclic aromatic carboxylic acids (e.g., benzoic acid), and the monocyclic aryl( lower alk-anoic acids) (e.g., phenacetie and B-phenylpropionic acid).

The final products of this invention are physiologically active compounds that possess fertility inhibiting activity. Hence, they may be administered orally or parenterally in lieu of known anti-fertility agents, such as progestagens and estrogens for control of conception, the dose being adjusted for the activity of the particular compound. They also possess antiandrogenic activity.

The compounds of this invention are prepared by interacting a compound of the Formula II:

Raid

wherein R and R are as hereinbefore defined and R" is ketal, with a compound of the formula: YX, wherein Y is as hereinbefore defined, and X is an activating group such as magnesium bromide, lithium or a complex thereof (e.g., a lithium ethylene-diamine complex). Although any ketal may be used, the preferred ketals are those with alkanediols, such as ethylene glycol and propylene glycol. The compounds of Formula II can be prepared as described in US. patent application, Serial No. 440,311, filed March 16, 1965. The reaction is preferably carried out at an elevated temperature, such as the reflux temperature of the reaction medium.

The nature of the product formed depends on both the specific steroid reactant and the reaction conditions. Thus, if the reaction is carried out at the pH of the reaction mixture (alkaline) and an acid is added subsequently "ice at ambient temperature, the 2-ketal group is retained, which can be later hydrolyzed to yield the final products. If, however, an acid, such as a mineral acid (e.g., hydrochloric acid) is subsequently added and the reaction medium heated, as to reflux, then the Z-ketal group is hydrolyzed and a 2-ketone is formed directly.

If a compound wherein R is hydrogen or lower alkyl is used, the correspondingly 17-unsubstituted product is formed. If, however, a l7-keto steroid is used, the 17- ketone enters int-o the reaction and is converted to a 176- hydroxy-17a-Y derivative, wherein Y is a lower alkyl corresponding to the lower alkyl used in the YX reactant. To prepare the 17B-esters when R H, the corresponding 17fl-hydroxy products are acylated in the usual manner, as by treating with an acyl halide or acid anhydride in the presence of a tertiary base, such as pyridine. To prepare the l7fi-esters where R=lower alkyl the acylation is carried out in the presence of perchloric .acid. The preferred acylating agents are the acyl chlorides and acid anhydrides of a hydrocarbon carboxylic acid of less than twelve carbon atoms. To prepare the 17-ke'to steroids, the 17fi-hydroxy steroid is oxidized in the usual manner, as by treatment with chromium trioxide.

The following examples illustrate the invention (all temperatures being in centigrade):

Example 1 .5 ,B-acetyl 7u-mezIzyl-A -1z0randr0stane-2- 0ne-17/3-0l Z-ethylene ketal A solution of 200 mg. of 5B-cyano-A-norandrostane- 2,17-dione 2-ethylene ketal in 9 ml. of ether and 9 ml. of benzene is treated with 3 ml. of a 5.25% methyllithium in ether solution. The reaction mixture is refluxed for 4 hours, treated with methanol and hydrochloric acid and the organic layer separated. The aqueous phase is ex tracted with chloroform. The combined extracts are washed with a saturated sodium bicarbonate solution, 8% salt solution, dried over sodium sulfate and evaporated to dryness. Plate chromatography of the residue using neutral alumina (Activity V) as the adsorbent and chloroform as the developing solvent gives a major band detectable with iodine. Elution with ethyl acetate gives a residue which is crystallized from isopropyl ether-petroleum etherto give 48 mg. of SB-acetyl-lh-methyl-A- norandrostane-Z-one-l-01Z-ethylene ketal having a melting point about 134136. The analytical sample is prepared by recrystallization from ether, M.P. about 140.5- 142.5; [a] +26 (CHCI )t 2.93 and 5.92%

735%,, 9.13 S, 18Me), 9.05 (s, 19Me), 8.76 (s,

0 ll 17aMe), 7.8; (s, 5BCH C) and 6.03 (s, 2 ethylene ketal) Analysis.Calcd. for C H O (316.52): C, 73.36; H, 9.64. Found: C, 73.42; H, 9.66.

Example 2.5fi-acetyl-A -n0randr0stane-2-0ne-1 7,8-01 Z-ethylene ketal Following the procedure in Example 1 but substituting Sfl-cyano-A-norandrostane-Z-one-17,8-01 Z-ethylene ketal for Sfl-cyano-A-norandrostane-2,17-dione 2-ethylene ketal there is obtained 56-acetyl-A-norandrostane-Z-one-175-01 2-ethylene ketal.

(A) A solution of 500 mg. of SB-cyano-A-norandrostane-2,l7-dione Z-ethylene ketal in 10 ml. of ether and 15 ml. of benzene is treated with 7.5 ml. of a 5.25% methyllithium in ether solution. The reaction mixture is refluxed for 8 hours and then left at room temperature for 8 hours, treated with methanol and acidified with byo drochloric acid. The reaction mixture is refluxed for 1 hour and the organic layer separated. The aqueous phase is extracted with chloroform. The combined extracts are Washed with a saturated sodium bicarbonate solution, 8% salt solution, dried over sodium sulfate and evaporated to dryness. Plate chromatography of the residue using neutral alumina (Activity V) as the adsorbent and chloroform as the developing solvent gives a major band detectable with iodine. Elution with ethyl acetate gives a residue which is crystallized from acetone-hexane to give 148 mg. of S/S-acetyl-l7a-methyl-A-norandrostane-Z-one- 175-01 having a melting point about 176l78.

The analytical sample is prepared by recrystallization from acetone-hexane, M.P. about 176178; [u] 19 (CHClg); A 2.82, 5.74 and 5.95,u.;

73 3 3 9.11 (s, 18 Me), 8.92 ()(s, 19 Me), 8.79 (s, 17a

ll Me) and 7.75 (s, 5;3+CH C-) Analysis.Calcd. for C H O (332.47): C, 75.86; H, 9.70. Found: C, 75.96; H, 9.62.

(B) A solution of 150 mg. of 5 3-acetyl-17u-methyl-A- norandrostane-Z-one-l7fi-ol 2-ethylene ketal and 15 mg. of p-toluenesulfonic acid in 2 ml. of water and 20 ml. of acetone is refluxed for 14 hours. The reaction mixture is concentrated, diluted with water and extracted with chloroform. The chloroform extracts are washed with 8% salt solution, dried over sodium sulfate, and evaporated to dryness to give SB-acetyl-17a-methyl-A-norandrostane-2-one-17fi-ol.

Example 4.-5,B-acetyl-A-norandrostane-Z-ne-1718-01 Following the procedure in Example 3 but substituting 513-cyano-A-norandrostane-2-one-175-01 2-ethylene ketal for 5,8-cyano-A-norandrostane-2,17-dione-2-ethylene ketal in part A there is obtained SB-acetyl-A-norandrostane-2- one-17B-ol which is also obtained by substituting 3- acetyl-A-norandrostane-Z-one-17 3-01 2-ethylene ketal for 5/8-acety1-17a-methyl-A-norandrostane-2-one 17p ol 2- ethylene ketal in part B.

Example 5 .5 13-acelyl-1 7a-metllyl-A-n0randr0stane-2- one-1 7,8-01 Z-ethylene ketal 17-acetate A solution of 0.0033 ml. of perchloric acid in 0.3 ml. of acetic anhydride is added to 500 mg. of 5 3-acetyl-l7amethyl-A-norandrostane-2-one-175-01 2-ethylene ketal in ml. of acetic anhydride. The reactionmixture is stirred at room temperature for 30 min. and then poured into ice-water and extracted with chloroform. The chloroform extracts are washed with a saturated sodium bicarbonate solution, 8% salt solution, dried over sodium sulfate and evaporated to dryness to give 5fl-acetyl-17amethyl-A-norandrostane-Z-one-175-01 2-ethylene ketal 17- acetate.

Example 6 .--5 fi-acety l-1 7 a-methy l-A-noran drostane-Z one-1 7/3-01 17-acetate Following the procedure in Example 5 but substituting Sfl-acetyl-17a-methyl-A-norandrostane-2-one-17,8 01 for Sfl-acetyl-17a-methyl-A-norandrostane-2-one 17,8 ol 2- ethylene ketal there is obtained 5B-acetyl-17a-methyl-A- norandrostane-Z-one-175-01 l7-acetate.

Example 7 .5 B-acetyl-A-norandrostane-Z-one-I 75- 1 Z-ethylene ketal 17-acetate A mixture of 100 mg. of 5fi-acetyl-A-norandrostane-2- one-17fi-ol 2-ethylene ketal in 1 ml. of acetic anhydride and 2 ml. of pyridine is left at room temperature for 4 hours, diluted with water and extracted with ether. The ether extracts are washed with a saturated sodium bicarbonate solution, 8% salt solution, dried over sodium sulfate and evaporated to dryness to give SB-acetyl-A- norandrostane-Z-one-l75-01 2-ethylene ketal 17-acetate.

Example 8 .5 S-acety l-A -norandrostane-Z-one-I 7fl-0l 1 7-acetate Following the procedure in Example 7 but substituting 5B-acetyl-A-norandrostane-Z-one-17 3-01 for Sfl-acetyl-A- norandrostane-2-one-176-01 Z-ethylene ketal there is obtained Sfl-acetyl-A-norandrostane-2-one-1713-01 17-acetate.

Example 9.5fl-acetyl-A -n0randrostane-2,I 7 -di0ne Z-ethylene ketal A solution of mg. of Sfl-acetyl-A-norandrOstane-Z- one-l7 8-ol 2-ethylene ketal in 10 ml. of acetone is treated dropwise with an equivalent amount of chromium trioxide-sulfuric acid. The chromic sulfate is removed by filtration and washed with additional acetone. The filtrate is concentrated, diluted with water and extracted with chloroform. The chloroform extracts are washed with 8% salt solution, dried over sodium sulfate and evaporated to dryness to give Sp-acetyI-A-norandrostane- 2,17-dione 2-ethylene ketal.

Example 10.5;9-acetyl-A-n0randr0stane-2,I 7-d'i0ne Following the procedure in Example 9 but substituting Sfl-acetyl-A-norandrostane-2-one-173-01 for Sfi-acetyl-A- norandrostane-Z-one-17fi-ol 2-ethylene ketal there is obtained Sfi-acetyl-A-norandrostane-Z,17-dione.

Following the procedures of Examples 1 through 10,

but substituting ethyllithium for the methyllithium, the

following products are obtained, respectively: 513-propionyl-17a-ethyl-A-norandrostane-2-one-175-01 2-ethylene Moreover, by following the procedures of Examples through 8, but substituting other acylating agents for the acetic anhydride, the corresponding 17-esters are formed. Thus, propionic anhydride yields the 17u-propionate and benzoyl chloride yields the 17a-benzoate.

This invention may be variously otherwise embodied within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A compound of the formula wherein Y is lower alkyl; R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and lower alkyl; R is selected from the group consisting of hydroxy and the acyloxy radical of a hydrocarbon carboxylic acid of less than twelve carbon atoms; and together R and R is keto.

2. SB-(lower alkanoyl)-l7a-(lower alkyl)-A-norandrostane-2-one-17B-ol.

3. SB-acetyl-17a-methyl-A-norandrostane-Z-one-17 3-ol.

4. Sfi-(lower alkanoyl)-A-norandrostane-2-one-17 9-01.

5. 5 3-acetyl-A-norandrostane-Z-one-1713-01.

6. Sfi-(lower alkanoy1)-17o-(1ower alkyl)-17fi-(lower alkanoyloxy)-A-norandrostane-2-one.

7. S S-acetyI-I7a-methy1-A-norandrostane-Z-one 17B- 01 17-acetate.

8. SB-(lower alkanoyD-Ufi-(lower a1kanoyloxy)-A- norandrostane-2-one.

9. 513-acetyl-A-norandrostane-2-one-1713-01 17-ac'etate.

10. SB-(lower alkanoyl)-A-norandrostane-2,17-dione.

11. 5p-acetyl-A-norandrostane-Z,17-di0ne.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS LORRAINE A. WEINBERGER, Primary Examiner.

V. GARNER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A COMPOUND OF THE FORMULA 